The Life of Open Source Spatial with QGIS - From Hobby to Grown Up, with Bonus Growing Pains
Explore the evolution of QGIS from a hobby project to a widely-used open source spatial desktop tool in this 45-minute conference talk. Discover how the project grew from a simple PostGIS viewer to a comprehensive Geographic Information System, competing with commercial offerings. Learn about the challenges faced during this growth, including changes in developer and user expectations, the need for better documentation and translations, and the shift towards a more structured organization. Gain insights into the project's governance, funding strategies, and efforts to maintain a welcoming and diverse community. Understand the delicate balance between volunteering and commercialization, and the importance of stability for users relying on QGIS for daily work. Reflect on the impact of growth on the project's culture and the lessons learned in managing a successful open source initiative.